E. Jean Carroll is suing Donald Trump for defamation and Disney is suing Ron DeSantis over what it calls a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” and attacking free speech.

Carroll took the stand yesterday in a New York City courtroom and testified, “I’m here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it did not happen.” Trump’s claim that it didn’t happen is why there’s a lawsuit. Trump is not on trial for rape but for defamation.

Last night on MSNBC, Alex Wagner said more than once that Trump could be a “convicted rapist,” but that is not true, and why I don’t normally watch MSNBC. That’s sloppy and irresponsible journalism and presenting an opinion as fact. Trump will NEVER be convicted of raping E. Jean Carroll but the jury may still believe her anyway and award her financially for defamation.

I believe E. Jean Carroll, but her only evidence is corroborating witnesses, other witnesses who claim Trump sexually assaulted them, and Trump’s own words in the Hollywood Access tape. Carroll can’t even remember the year that she claims the rape happened. When there are over 20 women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Donald Trump, combined with his own braggarts of sexually assaulting women, it’s very believable that he assaulted E. Jean Carroll. But convincing a jury that Trump committed rape is a higher burden.

Writing for The Daily Beast, trial attorney Mitchell Epner said the jury has probably already made up its mind. And Trump won’t be present to try to change their minds as he does not plan to testify. The burden may be higher on Trump’s attorneys to debunk Carroll’s claims. Hell, Trump may have already written this off as another loss and be looking forward to the appeal.

The only testimony Trump has given on this case has been on Truth Social where in addition to claiming Carroll wasn’t attractive enough to rape, that her lead attorney is a “political operative” funded by a “big political donor,” and that the entire trial is another “witch hunt.” The judge admonished Trump’s lawyers over these posts, as they may be attempts to influence a juror. The judge also said tweets by Eric Trump may be illegal as they too could be attempts to influence jurors.

Without evidence or exhibits, this case isn’t as much of a he-said/she-said as it is a she-said/tweet-said. If this was a criminal trial, Carroll would lose. The hurdle is much lower in a civil case.

In Florida, Disney filed its suit against DeSantis minutes after his newly-installed handpicked board of goons declared a Disney-friendly deal null and void. DeSantis and the state legislature stripped away Disney’s special governing district (which is a huge thing for corporations in the Sunshine State) in an attempt to punish the mouse for opposing his ‘Don’t Say Gay” law. In creating a new board that governs the district Disney is in, DeSantis is also attempting to influence the product Disney produces. In doing so, DeSantis is trying to take away Disney’s freedom of speech.

DeSantis’ war on Disney has become personal. On DeSanti’s part, it’s fascist, anti-business, and narcissistic, all of which he has in common with Trump. Now, they’re both being sued in civil courts. Hopefully, in the future, DeSantis will face criminal charges for human trafficking when he used refugees as political props and flew them from Texas to abandon them in Martha’s Vineyard. The two main candidates for the Republican nomination facing criminal charges sure would be sweet.

Trump and DeSantis are both assholes who violate the rights of other people. Fortunately for them, Republican voters love assholes.

Music Note: I listened to The Hives and Incubus.

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